New bill could require cursive writing in school again

Jessika Morgan / Staff Writer

Tuesday

Mar 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 19, 2013 at 9:21 PM

Cursive writing was excluded when North Carolina’s curriculum standards were revised for 21st Century learning this year. Schools were left the discretion to instruct the skill, which Lenoir County Schools does. Now, the state is rethinking its decision to de-emphasize cursive writing with a recently filed bill that would make it mandatory in instruction.

When Prophecy Jones was enrolled in Northwest Elementary School this year, he didn’t know any cursive handwriting.

He came from another county that didn’t teach it, because cursive writing instruction isn’t required under the new Common Core curriculum standards. However, school systems in North Carolina have the option to teach it.

Jones, 9, has spent a few months with Lenoir County Schools, and now his teacher Heather Rouse said he’s got the most beautiful cursive she’s ever read.

“I looked up at the (cursive chart) and that’s how I learned,” he said. “I kept practicing and practicing. I like that it can teach you how to write really good.”

The fading art of cursive handwriting has not been completely erased out of Lenoir County Schools.

When North Carolina, along with 44 other states, converted to the Common Core this year, cursive writing was excluded from those standards. The 21st century-based curriculum left school systems in the Tar Heel state the decision to teach a craft that many find obsolete in this rising technological age.

“(Cursive writing) truly is losing its relevance very quickly as we do more in the digital age,” said Ellen Benton, LCS executive director of instruction. “Standards are a minimum, and (local education agencies) can always go above and beyond what the standards say.”

In Lenoir County, schools haven’t killed cursive completely with the district still teaching it during third grade, reinforcing it the next two years and forming a committee to outline cursive writing guidelines.

The “Back to Basics” bill filed in February would require North Carolina public schools to include cursive handwriting in the curriculum. If approved, it will go into effect in fall. Schools would be required to provide instruction for students to create legible, cursive documents by the end of the fifth grade.

Under LCS current cursive guidelines, students aren’t expected to be completely proficient in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade. When the system revisited the topic at the beginning of the school year once it was taken out of the core requirements, school therapists said some students struggle with manuscript — print writing — and excel in cursive writing.

“If (students) are never given that chance, they’ll never realize that’s their best style of writing,” Benton said. “I’m not opposed to the law that is going to require it as part of the curriculum, but I just don’t want anything in place that puts its important over that reading, writing and math.

“Our teachers will make the right decisions about how much time to give it.”

Rouse, a fourth grade teacher at Northwest, reinforces cursive writing during her students’ spelling test review. She instructs them to print the word and then write it in cursive.

“I still personally think that (cursive) is important, because they need to be able to read it,” Rouse said. “All the time, I’m coming in contact with cursive writing to read. If you can’t write in cursive, you probably won’t be able to read the cursive, and the kids need to be able to write their signatures, too.”

Rouse said students are learning how to use computers instead of focusing on physically writing.

“If you think about it, instead of writing letters, we’re just sending emails or texts,” she said. “All papers are typed. When they’re in college, they’re not going to be writing papers to turn them in.”

She said the relevancy of cursive is fading as the only time people typically use it is to sign their name, but the instruction will continue.

While LCS teaches cursive during the third grade, a committee decided to introduce cursive letters to second grade students. Some elementary schools have already begun this semester.

“It’s fancy and you can write it faster than normal,” said McKensi Williams, a Northwest fourth grader. “You can use it as you get older.”

“I like that it helps you learn more,” Peoples, 9, said. “It starts to get hard at first, and when you keep practicing, it gets easier.”

Rouse circled her class as students spelled out 10 review words one-by-one. She told the students how impressed she was and referenced a cursive chart above the board for those who needed to see a specific letter.

The LCS guidelines encourage teachers to occasionally write in cursive for students.

“That’s a real life skill,” Benton said of reading cursive. “The whole thing is what’s best for students to be ready for the next level. We don’t want it to go totally away, but its not going to be a major emphasis. … That’s where we are right now.”

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.

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